'Minority Report': A fun combo of 'Sleepy Hollow' and 'Almost Human'

Minority Report is on the road to finding its loyal core audience, and I think it’s got a lot of good things going for it. A lot of the good things, I feel, come from the fact that even though the show is based on a film, there are elements of the show that speak to fans of both Sleepy Hollow and Almost Human. Some fans might find it offensive to compare Minority Report to the likes of either of the aforementioned shows, but I’m not saying it as a slight. Indeed, it’s a compliment.

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Here are four reasons outlining how Minority Report has found the happy medium between Sleepy Hollow and Almost Human.

Reason 1: The Obvious

Let’s get what’s clearly visible out of the way. All three shows—Almost Human, Sleepy Hollow, and Minority Report—have a very tried-and-tested Lethal Weapon aspect of having a black, by-the books cop and a white cop (or, in the case of Ichabod and Dash, a cop-adjacent person) who is “off the rails” in some way. With Lethal Weapon, Martin Riggs is a loose cannon, to say the least. With Almost Human, John Kennex is always flying loose with protocol, while Dorian, his android partner, is someone who’d rather not make too many waves, with the exception of when he invited another Dorian android on their ride-along. (It’s also worth noting that Dorian’s usual reservations about going against protocol stem from the fact that the police force, which is afraid of the human-like unpredictability of his model, could turn him off after the smallest of mistakes.) With Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod is a man out of time, a man who also happens to have an eidetic memory. With Minority Report, Dash is a pre-cog who struggles with his ability.

Sleepy Hollow and Minority Report take the dynamic even further by making the black cop a woman. Of course, as a black woman, I think that’s great. We need to have more portrayals of women of color from all backgrounds, not just black, on TV. But, if there’s one critique that could be made, it seems like Fox might have been a little too … corporate (for lack of a better word) when designing the look for Lara Vega and Abbie Mills. Why is it that they both have leather jackets and lobbed hair? Did they think we wouldn’t identify with another black woman cop on a sci-fi show if they didn’t look alike? IDK. But regardless, the fact that all three shows share some of the same dynamics between the main characters is fascinating.

Reason 2: Buddy-Cop Hijinks

Neither Almost Human, Sleepy Hollow, nor Minority Report are out-and-out comedies, but they do have comedic moments, thanks to the “buddy cop” aspect of the shows. There were tons of funny moments between Kennex and Dorian, with both of them trying to figure out how a human and android could work together. Sleepy Hollow‘s buddy-cop moments stem from Ichabod having to come to terms with being in the 21st century, Abbie having to educate him on certain things, and at many points, her stopping him from talking about what Americans don’t know about the founding fathers. With Minority Report, Dash and Vega’s buddy-cop moments come from the two of them figuring out a working relationship amid Dash’s unnerving talent.

Also, with Sleepy Hollow and Minority Report, there’s an element of romantic tension (or just lust), which provides fodder for comedic moments. Even though Minority Report has only had one episode thus far, we’re already seeing Dash stop at a photo of Vega in her swimsuit. This moment had a lot of people on social media simultaneously chuckling and giving Dash the virtual side-eye.

Reason 3: The Sci-Fi and Supernatural Elements

The three shows hit on something that a large portion of fans love: sci-fi and supernatural mysteries. Minority Report comes right in the middle of both Sleepy Hollow and Almost Human. Like Almost Human, it’s set in an utopia-esque future (and it’s also shot in Vancouver, for what it’s worth). There are all types of advancements in this new society—chief among them, a less offensive name and logo for the Washington NFL team. But like Sleepy Hollow, Minority Report indulges in the unexplainable, such as the existence of pre-cogs. In short, there’s enough in Minority Report on both sides of the aisle.

Reason 4: It’s Fun

This reason is simple enough. Minority Report, like Sleepy Hollow and Almost Human, is just plain fun to watch. All three of these shows provide a unique form of escapism while commenting on some of the issues facing us in the present. All three provide (or provided, in the case of Almost Human), some points to think about while giving us action, character bonding, and good storytelling. Out of all of the reasons Minority Report shares with the aforementioned shows, this reason is probably the most important.

Expression Of JoyThe Brady Bunch: Groovy! The Bradys: Ritual hugging Married…With Children: ”Oh, great.” Thirtysomething: ”Of course I’m happy for you. Really. But what about me? Why does it always have to be about you? The Flintstones: ”Yabba-dabba doo

Expression Of Rage

The Brady Bunch: ”Hmmm…” The Bradys: ”If you back away from something you really want, then you’re a quitter!” (the angriest any Brady has ever been) Married…With Children: ”Aaagh, God, take me from this miserable life!” Thirtysomething: ”I’m not angry, OK?” The Flintstones: ”Willllmaaaa!”

Typical ProblemThe Brady Bunch: Marcia and her rival both want to be the prom queen. The Bradys: Bobby gets paralyzed. Married…With Children: Al doesn’t buy his family Christmas presents. Thirtysomething: Nancy gets cancer. The Flintstones: Fred and Barney are staying out too late.

Typical SolutionThe Brady Bunch: The prom committee decides to have two queens. The Bradys: Bobby gets married. Married…With Children: They hate him. Thirtysomething: If only we knew… The Flintstones: Wilma and Betty decide to follow them.

Attitude Toward SexThe Brady Bunch: Never heard of it The Bradys: Omigod — even Cindy does it! Married…With Children: Peg: Yes. Al: No. Thirtysomething: They didn’t get all those kids by accident. The Flintstones: Prehistoric

How Spouses FightThe Brady Bunch: They don’t. The Bradys: Infrequently, but it happens Married…With Children: Tooth and nail Thirtysomething: They stop talking The Flintstones: Fred and Barney go bowling while Wilma and Betty max out their charge cards.

How Kids Get Into TroubleThe Brady Bunch: Greg takes a puff of a cigarette. The Bradys: Carol’s grandson steals her business cards and sticks them in the spokes of Bobby’s wheelchair. Married…With Children: By committing felonies Thirtysomething: Ethan plays with a forbidden toy rocket. The Flintstones: They don’t.

How They’re Punished

The Brady Bunch: ”It’s not what you did, honey — it’s that you couldn’t come to us.” The Bradys ”Next time, ask.” Married…With Children: By the authorities Thirtysomething: It blows up in his face. The Flintstones: They’re not.

What Family Does For FunThe Brady Bunch: Takes special three-part vacations to Hawaii and the Grand Canyon The Bradys: Has flashbacks Married…With Children: Exchanges insults Thirtysomething: Talks The Flintstones: Attends showings of The Monster at the Bedrock Drive-In

Unsolved MysteriesThe Brady Bunch: How exactly did Carol’s first husband and Mike’s first wife die? The Bradys: What’s with Marcia’s new face and Bobby’s blonde hair Married…With Children: What kind of hair spray does Peg use? Thirtysomething: Why did Nancy take Elliot back? What do Gary and Susanna see in each other? The Flintstones: How does Barney’s shirt stay on if he has no shoulders? Where do Fred and Wilma plug in their TV?

Worst BehaviorThe Brady Bunch: The Brady children once made Alice feel under-appreciated.

Best Reason To WatchThe Brady Bunch: This is what life should be. The Bradys: They’re all grown-ups now! Married…With Children: Terry Rakolta hates it. Thirtysomething (Tie) This is your life. This isn’t your life. The Flintstones: This is what life might have been.

Best Reason Not To WatchThe Brady Bunch: Blurred vision from rerun overdoses. The Bradys: You’re all grown-ups now. Married…With Children: She has a point. Thirtysomething: After a while, you think it’s real. The Flintstones: The Simpsons